Migrant’s Desk:
The Migrants’ Desk of the Salesian Province of Guwahati has continued its dedicated service in 2025 with the theme “Care and Support for Safe Migration of Potential Migrants.” The ministry aims to protect the rights and dignity of migrants, promote inclusion, provide essential services, and advocate for safe and humane migration policies.
A well-structured short-term and long-term plan was implemented at the source region, Assam. This included local awareness campaigns about the risks of uninformed migration and legal guidance for securing documents like Aadhaar and voter ID cards. Health checks, safety education, and information about government welfare schemes were provided to ensure that migrants leave their hometowns prepared and protected.
Furthermore, the Desk initiated anti-trafficking awareness campaigns and established referral networks with NGOs and law enforcement to provide timely support. Vocational training, orientation programs, and urban survival skills were imparted to empower young migrants. Strong partnerships were also built with government agencies and civil society organizations to ensure policy support and legal safeguards for migrants.
Key activities held in 2025 included:
- January 4: The Migrant Workers’ Annual Meet was held in Satgaon, gathering over 200 migrant workers. Fr. Ignatius Gari, the Provincial Coordinator for Migrants, was the chief guest.
- March 12–15: A visit by Salesians and staff from destination locations to source areas helped in mutual understanding and coordination.
- March 20: A high-impact Stakeholder Dialogue titled “Collaborative Action for Assam Migrants” took place at Don Bosco Institute, Kharguli. It brought together around 50 representatives from various sectors working in migration, labour rights, and social welfare.
- July 5: A youth session on safe migration was organized in Sojong, Karbi Anglong, where 30 young people were trained and empowered.
The action plan for the remainder of 2025 includes continuous awareness programmes across parishes, extensive data collection of migrants, training of staff in Bangalore from July 17–19, 2025 celebration of Migrants’ Day in Bangalore on September 7, 2025 and participation in the Karam Festival for migrants in Chennai by the end of September.
